NORTH-EAST (Counter Terrorism Campaign) – The Director of Defence Information of the Counter-Terrorism Campaign, Chris Olukolade (Major General) has revealed that there was no attack on the Maiduguri metropolis as recently reported by some media station, particularly foreign television channels.
Chris Olukolade indicated that at the reception of distress call, troops at about 2.00 am on Saturday May 3, 2014 launched a counter attack using mainly mortar shells on a group of terrorists who had attacked and killed four persons in Margimari village and other settlements in the outskirts of Maiduguri. He added that there was no fighting or attack around the University or any barracks in Maiduguri as reported.
According to him, a Chadian man by name: Usman Mecheka operating with the terrorists group around Lake Chad has been taken into custody by the Multi-National Joint Task Force. He further explained that the said Usman Mecheka was apprehended by the task force while trying to extract a ransom from herdsmen and farmers in the area, after an earlier attack on the community.
“Troops of the Special Task Force in the Plateau have also raided a camp maintained by an armed gang operating in a settlement in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State. A gun fabricating machine as well as arms and ammunition from the hideout were recovered during the raid. Also recovered during the raid were local single barrel guns, pistols, an automatic rifle, bullet pellets and a large quantity of materials for producing gun powder,” he reported.
The Director of Defence Information intensified that the raid has equally yielded vital details to track down the operators of the gun fabricating hideout who are now on the run. Adding, the area is also undergoing thorough search for similar criminal outfits.
While speaking on another issue in the Tanabu Community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, the Director of Defence Information announced that troops of the Special Task Force have successfully repelled an attack by a gang of cattle rustlers who had invaded the community after a shootout. ‘The troops, he said had the encounter when they responded to a distress call from herdsmen in the area which left one of the cattle rustlers dead, while others fled when overpowered by the troops.’
He also revealed that in Abuja, eight persons are currently being interrogated after raid operations by troops of security agencies on joint surveillance and patrol mission in the Federal Capital Territory.
“The arrested persons are helping out in the ongoing investigation with useful information after the operation which was prompted by intelligence reports. Most of those arrested are foreigners who were picked up around Kugbo and areas adjoining the Nyanya site of the recent bombings in the Federal Capital Territory. Those confirmed to constitute threat to security will be handed over to appropriate prosecution agencies on conclusion of the preliminary investigations,” he stated.
Olukolade noted that the “Operation Restore Peace” currently being conducted in the North Central States has maintained its operational tempo in the efforts to stamp out the activities of armed gangs in the region.
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